Children as Actors for Transforming Society

Justice & Advocacy Morning

The morning of July 29th was dedicated to Justice & Advocacy. From 9:00 to 12:30, all participants took part in a case-study and reflection centred around children’s rights.

WHY?

2014 marked the 25th anniversary of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. Therefore this was an opportunity to relate to the treaty and its articles and to stress the ability that children possess to make a change based on their rights to be equals in the society of adults, citizens in their country.

How is this subject connected to Janusz Korczak?

Korczak was the first to demand children’s rights. Even at the time when education and the place of the child were fully dependent on adults, he recognised the need for getting to know the child and his/her needs so as to give him/her a place in society. He did this by creating a “Children’s Republic” in the orphanages that he directed starting from the year 1912.

HOW?

Participants presented a case-study in which a child is affected, then using this scenario they tried to ascertain: who is responsible, what tools are available to those responsible, what tools does society have in order to avoid such an incident and what resources and responsibilities do the children have to make an influence.

We experimented with one of the tools that Korczak developed in the orphanages: “The Court of Peers”.

WHO?

All CATS participants were divided into discussion groups to reflect on the different possibilities and to build task groups. We used media tools and ran a Speakers Corner activity – like in Hyde Park – after which we all met in the “Court of Peers” where the different positions were presented.